Current Activities

Thanks for a great 2016! The Excitement is Building for 2017!

What's new at Midway for 2017? Park staff have been busy over the winter!

The roller coaster has been completely rehabilitated and moved to a new concrete pad. Smooth ride - no more trips to the chiropractor!

The Roto-Whip ride has been completely re-tooled and refurbished.

The Carousel's mechanics have been overhauled to ensure a smooth, breakdown-free season.

A new maintenance building is up on the site of the old boneyard behind the Go-Kart track. It's a first step toward the eventual restoration of the Hippodrome.

Meanwhile....

The Friends of Midway have been pleased with the enthusiasm surrounding the new Putt-A-Round Chautauqua mini-golf course. This first-class design was inspired by Friend of Midway Peter Sullivan and implemented by Adventure Golf Services, a leader in the industry and local heroes who went above and beyond the call during the construction period. Since opening on July 1, the course has hosted almost 6,000 players and has generated almost $6,000 toward the purchase of rides and attractions for Midway through the proceeds from evening mini-golf play.

Here are photos of the course and launch ceremony on its opening day, July 1.

During the past four winter seasons the Friends of Midway conducted successful campaigns for the restoration of the Chautauqua Choo-Choo cars and locomotive, a product of the Miniature Train Company, that has been circling the park for the past 60 years. Thanks to everyone who donated to make this restoration possible.

Here is a picture of the restored Chautauqua Choo Choo waiting for you at the station.

In May, 2015 a newly constructed train station became the boarding point for the Chautauqua Choo-Choo. A new design makes it both period-friendly and suitable for parking and storing the train in an enclosed space.

And, of course, over each winter, the Midway State Park crew has been hard at work repainting and refurbishing rides. Here are a couple of shiny new kiddie copters ready to whirl in May!

The Fully Restored Herschell Carousel Rides Again.

In 2012-2013 the state budget supported capital renovations to the Herschell Carousel roundhouse by replacing the piers, roof, glass, and making drainage improvements. With these stronger supports in place, the carousel has been returned to its home, and thanks to the generosity of families and friends whose connections to the carousel are strong, all of the 30 carousel horses were sponsored and funds have been paid to support the decorative painting of all the horses for the 2014 park opening. Thank you to all for your love of the carousel and your outstanding commitment to the restoration of this treasured ride.

Here are pictures of the carousel horses being repainted February through April, 2014:

And here are a couple of pictures of Maple Springs neighbors who bundled up for the frigid first ride on May 23.

By pursuing the renovation and restoration of the Midway Park carousel, we join a large group of carousel enthusiasts regionally and across the country who have successfully pursued restoration projects in recent years. The Olcott Beach Carousel Park is located here in Western New York and has done some impressive renovation recently, including work on many Herschell rides such as we have at Midway. To learn more about the experiences of park renewal enthusiasts and see their successes, please visit the resources and links below: